Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday ― a so-called “breakthrough” case, as the Republican governor is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Abbott’s office said he will isolate in the Governor’s Mansion in Austin, and will continue to be tested daily while receiving Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment.
“Governor Abbott is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, in good health, and currently experiencing no symptoms,” his office said in a statement.
Abbott spoke to a packed room of hundreds Monday night at the Republican Club at Heritage Ranch in Fairview, Texas — an event where there were few masks and virtually no social distancing, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Abbott has been criticized for banning mask mandates in the state. Some localities have defied the governor’s order and required the use of masks in schools, but the Texas Supreme Court on Sunday upheld Abbott’s ban, creating confusion.
As the highly contagious delta variant of the virus spreads, Texas has seen coronavirus cases skyrocket in recent weeks, from around 1,000 daily cases reported in early July to over 20,000 cases reported on Monday.
Vaccinated people remain at low risk of contracting the virus — even the delta variant — and are at extremely low risk of hospitalization or death if they are infected in a “breakthrough” case. However, coronavirus cases are growing dramatically among unvaccinated people.